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For Posterity's Sake 
A Royal
Canadian Navy Historical Project
HMCS
HURON 281
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READY THE BRAVE |
HMCS Huron 281
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Battle honours and awards: Arctic 1943-45,
English Channel 1944, Normandy
1944, Korea 1951-53
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Laid down: 01
Jun 1969
Launched: 09
Apr 1971
Commissioned: 16
Dec 1972
TRUMP
refit: 15 Jul 1993
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TRUMP
refit completed: 25 Nov 1994
Paid off: 31
Mar 2005
Fate: Sunk as a target ship on 14 May 2007
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Built by Marine Industries Ltd., Sorel, Huron was
commissioned on 16 Dec 1972. The Huron actually
got her start two days early because of the ice conditions in the St
Lawrence. Commissioning divisions were short and cold, -20 with a strong
north wind. When we came down the river we needed ice breaker assistance to
get by Quebec City. Also the supply sys failed the ship in that we were not
issued modern weather jackets, believe it or not they were from WW2. When we
entered Halifax they played Snow bird over the upper deck speakers. 1973 was
full of ships trials machinery, sound, weapons etc. However each ship was
given a first in class trial to be done. Huron was chosen to do helicopter
trials because CDR Heitzman was the only one of the original CO's with DDH
experience; he had been CO of Margaree. 1974 was a whole new ball game, we
sailed Jan 1974 for down south for exercises with the USN, returning to
slackers mid-Mar 1974. Early Apr 1974 we sailed for the Mediterranean with Iroquois and
Preserver. This is when the Lisbon thing happened (The
Portuguese Revolution). After Lisbon we exercised with the USN Med Fleet
off the southern tip of Italy. Ports were Naples and Barcelona, returning to
Halifax mid-Jun 1974. In mid-Jul 1974 Huron sailed for NATO - the first 280 on that
deployment until mid-Dec 1974. In early 1975, we sailed to carry out missile
firings off Roosevelt Roads, PR (aka Roosey Roads). This involved tracking trials using the CF9. Because
of there limited fuel range they would have had to fly over Cuba. We could
not get the over flight clearance we had to work out of Key West for three
weeks. For the rest of the year did Ex SAFE PASS and a refit. We
sailed in early Jan 1976 for WUPS and exercises out of
Roosey Roads. Did another Ex SAFE PASS from Mayport, Florida up the coast ending just off Halifax. Huron
sailed for second NATO early Jul 1976. While in Kiel, Huron's crew conducted
a 3-week self-maintenance routine. On sailing from Kiel, the NATO SQN was transiting the Kattegat
at night at high speeds. The NATO SQN had been dispatched to
intercept the Russian air craft carrier Kiev that had broken out of the
Black Sea and the Med with her escorts and was heading north. At that time
she was one of Russia's latest and newest. During the transit, we (they
believe) ran over a shoal, tore off the under water telephone and took 2 or
3 large chunks off the props. I
had just finished Petty Officer of the Watch for the first watch and had
just got my head down when we hit what ever it was. The noise below deck was
terrifyingly loud. Immediately every one was dressed and running to
emergency stations, but no pipe was ever made so we all kind of milled
around expecting some sort of answer to what had just happened, heard
nothing so everyone resumed the horizontal. Sometime before we entered Oslo
for a port visit, the sonar world reported something wrong with the
underwater telephone. Divers were sent down in harbour, Joe Arsenault was
one of them, he was a WU, and when they surfaced he said "what
telephone?" That's when they carried out a full bottom search and found
chunks missing from the props. They Navigation Officer was the OOW when it
happened. A board of inquire was held on run to slackers and he wore it all.
As often happens during episodes like this rumours abound. The best one was
we hit a small East German sub (there were many operating in these areas).
As the story goes we hit the subs sail with the section of the hull around
the underwater telephone knocking it over and when it was back up right we
hit it again with the screws. The supposed shoal we hit, if you looked at
the chart, was really hard to see and was extremely small. Huron had to leave the
SQN early and return
Halifax for repairs. Admiral Boyle was pissed of that we had sustained
damage and couldn't finish NATO; he tied Huron up along Halifax for approx 6
weeks before allowing us to be repaired. Early 77 I was drafted ashore to
CSD as 5"54 instructor. (submitted by James Ron Anderson)
Huron represented Canada at the
Silver Jubilee Naval Review at Spithead on 28 Jun 1977, and in
1981 carried Governor-General Edward Schreyer on a tour of five
Scandinavian ports. On 12 Mar 1980, HMCS Margaree and HMCS Huron
rescued the crew of the stricken M.V. Maurice Desgagnes (see
photos in the gallery for HMCS Margaree). Later in her career, she was transferred to
Esquimalt, BC. She served on MARPAC missions protecting
Canada's sovereignty in the Pacific Ocean and enforced Canadian laws
in its territorial sea and Exclusive Economic Zone. Huron was also
deployed on missions throughout the Pacific and to the Indian Ocean;
specifically the Persian Gulf and Arabian Sea on anti-terrorism
operations. Huron has a port visit, along with Kootenay 258 and Annapolis
265 at Vladivostok, Russia from 03 to 07 Jun 1990. In the winter of
1991 Huron was deployed to the Persian Gulf as
part of Operation FRICTION, the CF's contribution to Operation
DESERT STORM (the Gulf War) to replace her sister ship HMCS Athabaskan
as flagship of the Canadian Naval Task Group. Huron arrived after
hostilities ceased and patrolled for several months before returning
to Esquimalt. Huron was deployed to the Adriatic Sea in 1993 in
support of the United Nations naval embargo of the former
Yugoslavia. On 15 Jul 1993, Huron began her TRUMP refit at Marine
Industries Ltd., Sorel, Que. In 1999 Huron intercepted a civilian ship smuggling
illegal migrants off the coast of British Columbia. Paid off on 31
Mar 2005, she was sunk as an
exercise target ship 14 May 2007 during Operation TRIDENT FURY, a
live-fire exercise conducted by MARPAC 100 km (54.0 mi) west of
Vancouver Island.
The 5"54 cal gun on the 280s were named
after the Oto Melara technicians who built and did the FSR work in
Canada. The names for the guns were as follows: Iroquois
- Pasquale, Huron - Tulio, Athabaskan - Leno and Algonquin - Luigi.
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Commanding Officers |
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Cdr Richard Irwin Hitesman - 14 Dec 1972 - 25 Jul
1975
Cdr Leonard Joseph Cavan - 25 Jul 1975 - 15 Jul
1977
Cdr Mark Hubert D. Taylor - 15 Jul 1977 - 22 Jul
1978
Cdr James Dixon Spalding - 22 Jul 1978 - 24 Jul
1981
Cdr Robert James Deluca - 24 Jul 1981 - 14 Jan
1983
Cdr Gary Leslie Garnett - 14 Jan
1983 - 02 Jul 1984 Cdr James
Archiblad King - 02 Jul 1984 - 06 Jan 1987 Cdr
G. Jeffrey - 06 Jan 1987 - 21 Apr 1987 Cdr
J.A. Keenliside - 21 Apr 1987 - 22 Jul 1988 Cdr
D.E. Collinson - 22 Jul 1988 - 03 Aug 1990 Cdr
R.H. Melnick - 08 Aug 1990 - 25 Jun 1991
Cdr G.A. Paulson - 25 Jun 1991 - 27 Sep
1991 Cdr
F. Scherber - 27 Sep 1991 - 24 Apr 1992 |
Cdr
G.A. Paulson - 24 Apr 1992 - 26 Jun 1992 LCdr
R.V. Marsh - 26 Jun 1992 - 11 Jun 1993 Cdr
J.B. McCarthy - 11 Jun 1993 - 31 Mar 1994 Cdr
Randy A. Maze - 28 Apr 1995 - 26 Jul 1996 Cdr
John Scott Dewar - 26 Jul 1996 - 08 Jan 1998 Capt
D.G. McNeil - 08 Jan 1998 - 12 Aug 1999 Capt
R.D. Murphy - 12 Aug 1999 - 01 Feb 2001 Cdr
P. Fotheringham - 01 Feb 2001 - 19 Jun 2001 LCdr
W.S. Bates - 19 Jun 2001 - 2002 LCdr
T.P. Wagner 2003-2003 LCdr F.
Camaraire - 2003-2004 LCdr G.H.
Hansen 2004 - 31 Mar 2005 |
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In memory of those who have crossed the bar
They shall not be
forgotten |
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A-B
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Baker,
Mark Raymond
1963-2014 |
Brunt,
Alan Robert 1957-2000
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C-D |
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Carter,
Michael Patrick
1947-2007
Commissioning crew |
Cavan,
Leonard Joseph
1929-2015
2nd Commanding Officer |
Ciccolella,
Antonio Vincenzo
1946-1999
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Conrad,
Donald Edward
____-2015
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Coppard,
John George
1966-2012
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Cox,
Donald Elwood
____-2013
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Dechambeau,
Robert Maynard
1951-2010 |
Deluca,
Robert James
1936-2018
5th Commanding Officer |
Dewar,
John Scott
1951-2016
18th Commanding Officer |
Dubowski,
Thadeus 1954-2018 |
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Duquette, Gilles
____-2014
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E-F |
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Earl,
Kevin William
1957-2016
Served in Huron as Yeoman |
Fancy,
Fraser George
1944-2013 |
Fenerty,
Gordon Arthur
____-2017 |
Firth,
Raymond Herbert
____-2010 |
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G-H |
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Groot-Koerkamp,
Gerald Peter
1966-2013 |
Grove,
Roger Wayne
1958-2013 |
Guilderson, Ron
1943-2001 
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Hansen,
Jeffrey Carl
1959-2009 |
Hitesman,
Richard Irwin
1931-1986
1st Commanding Officer |
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Hurford,
George Oscar S. ____-2017 Served
in Huron as XO |
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I-J |
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Jones,
Donald Allan
1940-2017 |
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K-L |
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Kennedy,
Terence Alan
____-2017
Served in Huron 12 Jan 1987 -
20 Apr 1987
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Latour,
Joseph Jean-Yves
1954-2017
Served in Huron 1975-1977 as an
AB/LS WS |
Leroux,
Lorne Emeril
1942-2011 |
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M-N |
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McDonald,
Cyril Anthony
1960-2018
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Mallory,
John E.
____-2014 |
Mattsson,
Thomas Edwin
____-2005 |
McKearney,
Lyle
____-1996 |
Moffard,
Robert Lawrence
1940-2014 |
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Newman,
Fred
____-2018
Served in Huron 1979-1981 as Air
Det Chief |
Nowlan,
Paddy
____-____ |
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O-P |
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Ouellet,
Rene Joseph
1940-2009 |
Owen,
Mervyn
1922-2007 |
Pantano,
Ricki Frederick
____-2003
Commissioning Crew as an ABRM |
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Q-R |
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Royle,
Robert Randall
____-1998
Commissioning crew as CPO2 BN |
Ryan,
Allen Joseph 1953-2016 |
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S-T |
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Shimansky, John Thomas
1946-2016
Commissioning Crew
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Simpson,
Jim
____-2015
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Spalding,
James Dixon
1938-2016
4th Commanding Officer |
Stewart,
Harold Douglas
____-2015
Served in Huron as Cox'n |
Tighe,
Gilbert Joseph
1934-2014
Commissioning Crew as a MSET |
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Tracy,
James Richard
1959-2014
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Turetzek,
George Michael Alphonse
1953-2011
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U-V
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Vermette,
Raymond Wilfred
1932-2016
Served in Huron for NATO 1974
as CYS
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W-X
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Whalen,
David Bertram
1941-2016
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Whalen,
Michael
1944-2016
Served in Huron as Cox'n
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Former Crew Members
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Addison, Tim
Barter, Bill
Bodie, Dave, P2SG, D/Yeo
Debusschere, Paul 
Eddy, Blake, C2ERA
Fletcher, Bob, P1RM, POTEL
Fortin, Robin, WU - Mar 1974 - Jul 1976
Jacques, Yves - 1983-1985
Johnston, R.J., P1NWT - May 1995 - Jun 1998
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Larcheveque,
Richard, OBSV/AESOP - 1982 (aircrew)
Latour,
Mitch, AB/LS - 1975-1977
Matthews, Arthur
J., LSBN - 1974-1979
Nicoll, Andrew, Cook
Obrien, Joe, PO2
Oliver, Jim, WO, Air crew
Olsen, Darren Mark
Pearson, Loren
Peever, P2CK |
Saunders, Earl, CPO2 - 1978
Saunders, Evan, MSBN - 1978
Sleigh, Mike, C2SN,
CSE Chief - 1981-1983 / C1SN Cox'n 1985 - 1987 Smith,
Keith, LSBN - 1978
Tiffin, Rick - 1990-1991
Watson, Bryan, P2 NESOP - 1989-1992
Wills, Al, NESOP -
Apr 1987 - Jul 1987 |
RCN Memories
A
wee bit ahead
I found a Soviet sub!
The Portuguese Revolution - 1974
Where's my RHIB?
Links
HMCS
Huron - Commissioning Booklet
HMCS
Huron in rough waters west of Vancouver Island
- Video
HMCS
Huron Day Sail
- Video
HMCS
Huron at the Ammo Jetty
- Video
HMCS
Huron transit through Active Passage to Strait of Georgia -
Video
Ship's
company photos for HMCS Huron
Photos
and Documents (below)
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HMCS Huron Welcome Aboard pamphlet circa 1975
Courtesy of Jake Thomas |
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Crossing the Line (Arctic Circle) Ceremony on HMCS
Huron, 1978
Neptune's court is: L to R: MSBN Evan Saunders, CPO2
Earl Saunders, Engineering Officer, LSBN Keith Smith, unknown at back, LSBN
Arthur Matthews
Courtesy of Arthur J. Matthews |
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HMCS Huron Christmas card
Courtesy of Arthur J. Matthews |
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HMCS Huron at Spithead for the Queen's Silver
Jubilee Fleet Review
(1) HMCS Huron 281 dressed for the Queen's Silver Jubilee
(2) List of Spithead Fleet review (3) First Day Cover signed by
Huron's CO.
Courtesy of Arthur J. Matthews |
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Rescue of the crew of
the M.V. Maurice Desgagnes 12 Mar 1980
On
12 Mar 1980, HMCS Margaree (with no helo embarked as she was
preparing to go into refit) was acting as work-ups consort for HMCS
Huron when Margaree received a distress call from
the M.V. Maurice Desgagnes. Margaree relayed the distress to
Huron and the two ships proceed to their aid. The helo from
HMCS Huron rescued the crew of the stricken vessel. The photos
here were taken by Rick Masters, Radar Tech on board HMCS Margaree
Photographer:
Rick Masters, P2RT, HMCS Margaree
Courtesy
of Frank Altas |
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HMCS Huron 281
Courtesy of John Le Forte |
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HMCS Huron 281 departing Esquimalt 1987
Courtesy of Eric Kahler, Director, Naval Museum of
Alberta |
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Deck Department of HMCS Huron
Courtesy of John Le Forte |
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Fire Exercise on HMCS Huron 281
Courtesy of Mitch Cormier |
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Section base #3 on HMCS Huron
Mitch Cormier attack team leader (front left)
Courtesy of Mitch Cormier |
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AB Glen Tewnion saves a life in China |
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C&PO's
flag hoisting team Huron 1989. Looking at camera Bob Fletcher POTEL
- going clockwise from there PO2 Bodie, WO Oliver, CPO2 Eddy, PO2
Peever, headset guy, PO2 Joe Obrien
Courtesy
of Tim Kyle
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C&PO's
flag hoist team Huron 1989 Left to right: CPO2 Blake Eddy,
CERA, PO2 Dave Bodie D/Yeo, WO Jim Oliver air crew, Back to camera
PO2 Peever Cook
Courtesy
of Tim Kyle |
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HMCS Huron departing Halifax for the Persian
Gulf - 1991
Courtesy of Tim Kyle |
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HMCS Huron 281 entering Esquimalt Harbour, 2
August 1991
Courtesy of the CFB
Esquimalt Naval and Military Museum |
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Newspaper article on HMCS Huron
281 rescuing crew members from the British merchant vessel HERO
Source:
Trident Magazine 02 Dec 1977
Courtesy
of Andrew Nicoll |
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HMCS Huron 281 at full speed
Courtesy of Tim Robinson
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Newspaper article on HMCS Huron just
prior to her sinking as a live fire-ex target
By John McKay / Times Colonist
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Huron just prior to the "Sink
Ex" aka live-fire exercise during Operation Trident Fury 14 May 2007
Courtesy of Bill Inglee
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Former HMCS Huron sinking after live
fire exercise 14 May 2007
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HMCS Huron - 1978
Courtesy of Andrew Nicoll
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Andrew Nicoll on HMCS Huron
Courtesy of Andrew Nicoll
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